A few thoughts about H is for Hawk
I recently finished the audiobook of H is for Hawk, written and read by Helen Macdonald, and immediately wanted to write about it on my …
Author: John Lechner
I am a writer, artist, animator, puppeteer, and interactive designer.
The Floating Flower Garden
Spring is here, even though there is still snow on the ground and the trees are bare in many locations. To help get you in …
Song of the Sea
The new animated film Song of the Sea is an artistic triumph, and its strong connection to nature only enhances its power. The story is …
Poetry and music – Vivaldi’s Winter
Antonio Vivaldi published his famous group of violin concertos, The Four Seasons, in 1768 at the age of forty-seven. They were what was known as …
Haystacks in the snow
In 1891, an exhibit by Claude Monet in the Durand-Ruel gallery in Paris included a series of 15 haystacks. It was unusual at the time …
The Diatomist – microscopic artwork created from nature
Sometimes the beauty of nature is so small, you need a microscope to see it. Diatoms are single-cell algae, encased in glass shells, invisible to …
Creating your own natural world
I like to cover a wide variety of art forms on this blog, including electronic arts. Computer games have come a long way in the …
The Groundskeeper’s Daughter – ethereal music from the garden
Nature has inspired music throughout history, from Vivaldi to modern-day art installations. The duo Dolls Come to Life explore the theme of a garden on …
Strength in nature – the art of Natasha Newton
Natasha Newton is an artist and illustrator from Suffolk, England, whose work is inspired by the natural world. Birds, trees, stars and mountains all feature …
Stop-motion on the other side of the woods
Anu-Laura Tuttelberg is an animator from Estonia who works in stop-motion, a medium that is all the more compelling in this digital world of computer …